Box



May 12, 1936. w. R. LQONEY" BOX Filed Dec. 1, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- gnmcyvbcw mfinLaan'ey Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOX Application December 1, 1934, Serial No. 755,596

2 Claims.

cannot be opened once it has been locked without showing that the box has been opened or tampered with. l

An object of this invention is to provide a blank form which cangbe formed into a suitable I container having regular or irregularwalls and the container having means whereby the ends thereof may be conveniently locked so as to prevent tampering with the contents of ,the box without showing that the box has been broken into.

Another object of this invention is to provide a form for folding into a box whereby the box before being finally closed will form a hopperlike portion to facilitate filling of the boxand in thisposition, the ends of the box are securely locked against spreading. j

A further object of this invention is to provide a box structure of this kind wherein the ends of the box are reinforced by a number of thicknesses of material, the material being formed from each side, the bottom and the top of the device, and an additional thickness being carried by one of two top members so that-there will be at least five thicknesses of material on each end, and the different thicknesses are so positioned relative one to another that the locking means for the container at'each end is concealed, thereby making it impossible to separate the different portions of the box without breaking the 'locking means.

Figure 2 is a modified form of the blank wherein the top and bottom are of a width different from the sides so that the ends will form arectangle. a

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the initial step in the folding or assembling of the box shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the second step in the closing of the box and. also showing the hopper-like formation of the two top members so as to facilitate the filling of the box. I

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the box in closed position.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line'66 of Figure 5. V

Referring to the drawings and first to Figure l, the letter B designates generally abox structure formed of a single sheet of cardboard or other 10 composition material which is relatively stiff. This box structure 13 comprises a substantially rectangular sheet of material which is divided into .a top section I0 disposed at one endlof the rectangular sheet, and a second top section II is 15 disposed at the other end of the rectangular sheet. A side member I2 is connected to the top section II] and a second side member I3 is con: nected to the top section I I, and a bottom wall or section I4 is disposed between the two side walls or sections I2 and I3. If desired, the material of the box B may be either scored or otherwise formed between the various wall sections so as to facilitate the bending of these sections one relative to another in order to form the. box which is shown in Figure 5 in closed position.

The topwall II! has formed therewith end wall members I5, one at each end of the top wall Ill, and additional end wall members I6 are integral with the end walls I5. The top wall In and each end wall I5 may have therebetween scores I! or the like, so as to facilitate the bending of the walls I5 and scores or suitable means I8 may also be disposed between the two end wall members I5 and I6, so as to facilitate the bending of these walls one relative to another. 7

A locking tongue I9 is carried by the side wall member I2, there being two of these tongue members I9 one at each end of the side I2. The other side wall I3 has end wall members 20 integral therewith, which are bendable along the lineZI. These end wall members 20 have a substantially diagonally extending tongue 22 struck from the body thereof adjacent one of the inner corners of the end wall 20 with the free portion of the tongue 22 outermost.

The bottom wall or member I4 has end wall members 23 integral therewith one at each end of the bottom, and the end members 23 are bendable along the line or score 24. The end wall a members 23 have an inwardly directed tongue 25 struck from the body thereof disposed in substantially the center of the wall 23, and a similar tongue 26 is struck from the end wall member I6 of the top I0. 55

As will be noted from the drawings, the top wall member H does not have any end walls secured to or integral therewith.

In the assembly or formation of the box from the blank disclosed in Figure 1, the top Wall II together with the side wall I3 may be bent upwardly along the line or score 21 which is disposed between the bottom I4 and the side I3, and then the end wall members 20 may be bent along the line or score 2| at substantially a right angle to the length of the side I3. At the same time, the end wall members 23 may be bent at substantially a right angle to the bottom member I4 along the line 24, and the bottom end wall member 23 is preferably disposed inside the end wall member 20. Figure 3 shows the box in the stage of formation just described.

After the side I3 and the top member II have been bent upwardly at a right angle to the bottom M, the top member I and the side member I2 may be bent upwardly along the line or score 28 disposed between the side I2 and the bottom I4. At this time, the locking member I9 is bent inwardly or at a right angle to the side member I2 along the line 29 so that the locking portion or lip 30 may be passed through the slot 3| formed by striking the tongue 22 from the end wall 20. Preferably, the locking portion 30 is passed over and on the outside of the tongue 22 and then inwardly between the end wall 26 and the end wall 23. The angular lip portion 32 is adapted to engage behind or inwardly of the tongue 22. In this position, the two top wall members Ill and I I are disposed in spaced parallel relation to each other and together with the end wall members I and I6 form a hopper by means of which the interior of the box may be readily filled. It will be noted that at this stage of the formation of the box, the two sidewall members I2 and I3 are locked against movement relative to each other so that when the interior of the box is filled, there will be no spreading movement whatever between the two side walls caused by opening of the locking means for the ends of the box.

After the box has been filled to the height of the side members I2 and I3, the top member II may be first bent at a right angle to the side I3, it being understood that the end wall members I5 and I6 are at this stage moved outwardly so as to permit the top member II to be moved downwardly at a right angle to the side member I3. The top member II is bent along the line 33 be tween the side I3 and the top II. In order to hold the top member II in position, the outside top member II! is then bent along the line 34 between the side I2 and the top Ill and then the end wall members I 5 and I6 are bent at substantially a right angle to the closed outer top I0 and the outermost end wall member I6 is then inserted between the inner end wall member 23 and the locking wall member 20. Movement of the wall member I6 between the end Wall 23 and the end wall 20 will bring the locking tongue 26 into register with the slot formed by the locking tongue 25, so that the locking tongue 26, as shown in Figure 6, will extend into the slot formed by striking the tongue 25, and will be locked thereby. The end wall 25, as will be noted from Figure 5, will be disposed on the outside of the layers of material forming the ends of the box, and will cover up the locking members I9 and 20.

In Figure 2, I have shown a box structure which is similar to the box structure shown in Figure 1, but in this figure, the outer top wall ID is relatively Wide with relation to the side wall I2. The inner top member II is also the same width as the top I0 and is wider than the side wall member I3, whereas the bottom I4 is of the same width as the two top members I l1 and II.

The top member I0 has end members I5 and I6 at each end and the side member I2 has locking members I9 which are similar to the locking members I9. The bottom I4, however, has a wall member 23 and a second end wall member 35 is integral with the end wall member 23 and is bendable along the line 36. This wall member 35, when the box is assembled, will be an inner end wall and will act as an additional reinforcing means at the end of the box. An end wall member 20 is carried one at each end of the side I3 and each end wall 20 has a locking tongue 22 struck from the body thereof after the manner of the tongue 22.

The box formed by the modification shown in Figure 2 is assembled in the same manner as the box shown in Figure 1.

Through the use of a box constructed as hereinbefore described, it is possible tosecurely seal the contents within the box so that there can be no tampering of the contents without such tampering being discernable as in order to open the box, it will be necessary to pull the end wall member I6 out from between the end wall 26 and the end wall 23, thereby tearing the locking tongue 26.

What is claimed is:

1. A box, comprising a single sheet of material having integral sides, bottom and a pair of top members, a pair of end walls carried one at each end of the bottom member, interengaging end wall members carried by the side members, pairs of connected end wall members secured at an end of one of the top members, there being one pair at each end of said one top member, the outermost of said pair of connected end wall members being insertable between the bottom end member and said interengaging end wall members, and interlocking means carried by said outermost end wall member and said bottom end wall member.

2. A box, comprising a single sheet of material having integral sides, bottom and a pair of top members, a pair of end walls carried one at each end of the bottom member, end wall members carried by the side members, interlocking means carried by said side end wall members, pairs of connected end wall members secured at an end of the top members, there being one pair at each end of said one top member and the outermost of said pair of connected end Wall members being insertable between the bottom end member and one of said side end wall members, and interlocking means carried by said bottom end wall member and said outermost end wall member.

WILLIAM R. LOONEY. 

